I am Woman, Hear Me Roar…
One of the first things I noticed about becoming a stay-at-home mom was how isolating it was. In my neighborhood at least, everyone was at work all day. Nobody to talk to. Nobody to complain to. Nobody to ask if I was doing it right or wrong. And it pretty much sucked.
Prior to giving birth, I worked at a stressful but good paying job that I liked with interesting people that I got along with and a boss that I liked & respected despite her persnicketyness and legendary moodswings. And then postpartum? Nothing. Just me and my colicky baby all day, every day, watching the clock and counting the minutes until my husband came home. What I wouldn’t have given then for what I have now through blogging.
So what was the question again? Does blogging empower women?
I’d have to say yes. Absolutely.
Why?
Because it gives us a voice that we might otherwise not have.
Because it gives us a community of women, mothers, fellow professionals, whatever that would be hard to amass in the physical world.
Because it gives us help and support when we need it.
Because when we all band together we make things happen.
Because it lets us speak frankly if we so desire.
Because it lets us speak anonymously if we so desire.
Because we can be whoever we want to be on our blogs.
Because we can get feedback when we want it.
Or turn the comments off when we don’t.
We have choices and options that we might not otherwise have.
For me, blogging has provided an outlet for my many soapboxy issues, as well as a place to meet like-minded women that I would never encounter in my regular life. I don’t say “real life” because my blog IS real. It’s part of my “real” life and though I may see the women I’ve gotten to know only once a year at a little conference called BlogHer, they’re no less real to me.
Do I personally feel empowered? You bet your ass I do. Read some of my ranty posts about society sexualizing our girls or the idiots that oppose public breastfeeding or a dozen other topics that have provoked my ire and you will be reading the words of someone who is damn glad she doesn’t have to browbeat her friends and family with this stuff anymore because now she has, conceivably, the whole world as an audience by way of her blog.
I am a woman. I am a blogger. HEAR ME ROAR.
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The ladies over at Mommyblogs Toronto are sponsoring a contest to send someone to BlogHer 07 and this essay is my submission :)
Links to This Post
Christy of Are We There Yet?
28 Responses
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I don’t want to go to BlogHer so I vote for you!!
Yes, yes, and yes.
I’m on fire now! ;)
Rock on Iz!!
Power to the double X!
ITA, and I say that as your competition. ;)
Hear Hear! Great post!
What? You mean your neighborhood isn’t like Wisteria Lane where most of the women are at home all day? Come on!!!!
Absolutely dead on Izzy. Couldn’t of said it better myself.
Great post, Izzy. You said it exactly.
Gosh. Gosh. I’m about to answer this too for BlogRhet (same question, different site). My take has been rather more..gloomish. I couldn’t remember all the good points, frankly.
Now you’ve reminded me. THANK YOU
Thanks for reminding me why I love blogging. it really is empowering!
I love your list. A TO THE MEN.
I’m glad you’re in the blogosphere, Izzy!
Will miss seeing you at BlogHer this year. I can’t go, but I hope you have fun and win a free trip - you deserve it!
I love what you said about blogging being “real life”. ‘Tis absolutely true!
Looking forward to seeing you in Chicago!
I love what you said about blogging being “real life”. ‘Tis absolutely true!
Looking forward to seeing you in Chicago!
Love blogging for those same reasons. I used to write long emails to friends - now I just blog and reach masses of people who give me tons of answers!
Wish I were seeing you in person at Blogher. Maybe next year. Have a great time. AND, loved the scrapbook. If you haven’t seen it - view it now!! Izzy’s work is phenomenal!
Roar away.
We here at the Playground are listening.
I so agree with you; we absolutely find our voice. And he blogosphere is one of the few mediums where the percentage of women’s voices is basically equal to the # of women in the U.S.
When I cam home from the New York Blogher ‘07 conference in March, I was so thrilled by what had transpired, I posted on the topic.
http://daretodream.typepad.com/weblog/2007/03/what_if.html
My best to both you and Helen Reddy (how I loved that song as a child!)
I feel exactly the same way. Great post! Good luck!
I wish you live in my neighborhood … but, since you don’t, I’ll settlel for reading your blog. Roar on.
Wow!!! Incredible post!!!
Amen, sister! Hope you win the trip to BlogHer. Sorry I won’t see you there this year.
As you may have noticed from the previous pingback, this post has been nominated for Hot Stuff Of The Week over at our site, GNMParents. Fantastic essay, good luck in the voting!
hi izzy,
congratulations on a well written piece.
whether you win or not…this is a winner.
~chesca
From this day forward, when anyone says “I am woman, hear me roar”, I shall reply, “…Well. I’ll take care not to call *you* the wrong name during sex.” And if they actually get it, I will be amazed and start up a rabid dicussion, but first I need to read the other three books.